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| Israel to close Al Jazeera offices, take network off-air | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Israel wants to close broadcaster Al Jazeera's local offices and revoke its journalists' press credentials, the communications minister has said. | |
| Ayoub Kara alleged that the channel supported "terrorism", and said both its Arabic and English-language channels would be taken off air. | Ayoub Kara alleged that the channel supported "terrorism", and said both its Arabic and English-language channels would be taken off air. |
| Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently accused the broadcaster of incitement. | Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently accused the broadcaster of incitement. |
| Al Jazeera has fiercely defended its reputation and says it is independent. | |
| Mr Netanyahu accused the pan-Arab TV channel of fuelling a recent crisis around a holy site in Jerusalem known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. | |
| New security measures imposed by Israel after two policemen were killed nearby sparked protests by Palestinians, and the Israeli government eventually removed the security apparatus, which included metal detectors. | |
| The Israeli prime minister vowed in late July to "expel Al Jazeera" for its reporting of the issue, which he said incited violence. | |
| Mr Kara said cable TV providers had agreed to take the network off the air, but that closing its Jerusalem bureau would need further legislation. | |
| Al Jazeera says its journalists were barred from the press conference where the announcement was made. | |
| Al Jazeera has come under attack from several governments in the region in recent months to the concern of free press campaigners. | |
| Saudi Arabia and Jordan both shut bureaux of the Qatari-funded broadcaster as part of their diplomatic campaign against the tiny Gulf state. | |
| Al Jazeera hits back at closure calls | |
| Shutting the network was on a list of 13 demands by the four Arab nations leading the boycott of Qatar that were tabled in June but later dropped. | |
| Qatar's Arabic-language news channel first launched in 1996, and shook up the media landscape in the Middle East by airing criticisms of governments and rulers in the region. | |
| Al Jazeera says it was the first Arabic channel to feature Israeli politicians and commentators on the air. | |
| Israel has however frequently accused it of being biased in reporting the Israel-Palestinian conflict. |